Twenty Seven


Several seconds passed before Dave pushed Emily away, shock written all over his face. As Ashley adjusted her stance, she hoped that his expression was genuine. But it could also be an act.

"Dave..." Emily said, her face wearing a look of remorse. "Th-that was a mistake," her voice shivered as she got to her feet and tried to catch the attention of the man who was now sharing a distressed look with Ashley.

While something heavy settled on her chest, Ashley locked her jaws and gave her head a slight shake to stop her mind from travelling into a world of diverse questions.

Her eyes still deeply connected with Dave's, Ashley wondered if the scene she walked into was meant to be a message from the universe. Perhaps she had been wasting her time with Dave just as it happened with Kevin. If that were the case, all his talk about healing her would equate to a sham. A big sham.

Just like that, Ashley kept rousing theories and she began to scare herself.

But before she could startle her soul any further, Emily, whose pleas had fallen on deaf ears, began to walk to the front door. While her gait was a little unstable, when she stopped in front of Ashley, she gave a mocking scoff. Then, she walked out.

Ashley's eyes flickered away from the door that Emily closed and she faced Dave who had gotten to his feet.

Approaching her, he cautiously said, "She kissed me, Ashley."

"I know what I saw, Dave." Ashley looked relaxed but she wasn't. "I know she kissed you. But you lingered too long before pushing her away. That communicates a lot to me."

Giving a loud exhale, Dave pushed back his hair with his hand, "God! I am so sorry, Ashley." He faced her again, his expression still spelling great distress. "I am so sorry you had to see such an unintended scene."

As she watched Dave, Ashley became a little confused. His face showed how sorry he was, but his voice was calm, too calm. Sighing with the hope that she would be able to ignore the weight within her, Ashley closed her eyes and said, "I need to ask you a question or two. And I want you... I need you to be sincere about the answer."

Dave finally made it inches away from her and his scent enveloped her, reminding her of the times she had spent with him so far. She did not want all that to end so soon. That was the exact thought that made her keep calm despite the earlier scene. But that calmness was not bound to last long.

"I am just one of your flings, right? You don't intend to keep me around for too long, right?" Rage began to build its way to her soul and she drew her hands into fists to stall the emotion. "All that story about fixing me was just to have fun with me and leave me in a more devastating state, right?"

The lines around Dave's eyes wrinkled and communicated agony. He reached out for her hand but she took a step back to avoid his contact. "Ashley..."

Ashley failed to stall her anger. At that moment, she chose to acknowledge it or not, she was hurt. And angry. Very angry.

"Tell me, you and Emily are together right? Or did you use to be? Or is this all some sick game you play with ladies just because they are attracted to you? Uh? Answer me!"

"Ashley..."

"Don't touch me." She moved again to evade his touch. But he beat her to it and with gentle use of his strength, he twirled her on the spot and made her back bump into his chest.

And, for a minute, they stood that way, neither saying a word. With his arm around her upper chest, Dave rested his chin on her right shoulder and breathed silently onto her skin.

Finally, after minutes of silence, Dave talked. "Why?" he asked with a gruff voice. "Why do you think I am playing games with you? You must have no idea what you mean to me. How on earth could you be just a fling? Please believe me, Emily kissed me first."

"You lingered... That has to mean something..." Ashley's voice was low.

"It doesn't. It really doesn't." He squeezed her tighter into his chest and she felt his slung arm. "I... I was shocked. That's all. There is nothing between Emily and me apart from our friendship. Ashley..." He turned her to face him. Staring into her eyes, Dave continued, "You need to believe me."

"I want to, but I can't just yet."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She pulled away from his grasp, "Even if I mean something to you, I need some time to think about things. I need to reason out some things because I don't want to go back to the sadness I found myself in before you met me."

"What are you saying, Ashley? I don't intend to make you sad. I want you to be happy. I want to see you happy. I would never do anything to take away your chance to live that kind of life."

Ashley nodded while slowly backing out. "I need to go."

"Where?" Dave asked abruptly. Ashley peered into his eyes. His dark pupils seemed to have lost their twinkle and his expression was like that of someone who was about to lose something important. That sight touched Ashley, she felt sorry for him. But she had time to think. She needed to sort out her life alone.

"It is a safe place, don't worry," Ashley replied to his question. After flashing him a short smile, she said, "I just need to be alone for a while."

"Let me drive you then."

"I said I want to be alone!" Her outburst startled Dave a bit so he withdrew a few steps, his jaws locking. "I am sorry," she immediately softened, "I just want to be alone." Dave nodded in response and watched as she reached to open the door. "Don't forget to take your medicine. And, be careful with your arm. I will be back soon."

"Alright. Take care."

~

Before she closed the door of her Uber ride, Ashley studied her environment. It was thankfully peaceful and people weren't roaming the streets or lurking on other people's porches to have silly talks. After she closed the car door, her wandering eyes settled on her house which was already undergoing reconstruction.

If she had not met her mother in the supermarket, she could have gone there earlier. But there she was either way.

As she walked past used construction materials littered here and there, Ashley noticed that there was still evidence of the fire. There were stains on the lower ends of the wall and some framed window panes that had been set aside and stacked in a corner displayed the severity of the flame.

Once she reached the porch, she took a seat on the little platform that was designed in a way that could trip a drunk person.

Ashley stared at the view in front of her and her thoughts drove her back to the fire incident. And it occurred to Ashley that changing her environment was paramount. From what she recalled, a few of her neighbours saw the fire but no one called the fire service department till Dave did.

No doubt, being around people who only care on the surface would be highly detrimental as time goes on. It would be better to be alone than to be around so much targeted negativity.

Tearing her gaze off the house to her left, Ashley realised that she was yet to fully think about her work. It was high time she went back to her company. No matter what Dave said or says, her job was one of the things that would make her happy and distract her from her troubles.

It was too bad that she was too immersed in the bad place she found herself after the divorce, otherwise, she would have resorted to working her ass off.

And... there was Dave. She needed to think about Dave Scott.

Ashley smiled to herself as the image of his gorgeous face came up in her head. Dave Scott, with the curly, shiny hair and twinkling eyes, sure was one of a kind.

But Dave was the kind she had to tread carefully with because she was gradually falling in love with him.

Recalling how breaking the kiss she had earlier witnessed was, Ashley was very sure that if anything, just anything, hurtful happens when she's with him, she would become very affected.

And that would not be good for her.

At that moment, it was tempting to Ashley to break things off with Dave, but... What she had over the past few days with Dave was something she had never experienced. It was too good to let go.

"Hey, Ashley..."

That voice was not one she expected to hear so soon. Looking up at the person in front of her, a frown on her forehead, Ashley said, "Just because I let you explain things doesn't mean it is now okay to seek me anytime you want."

"I know." Francine sighed, her knuckles turning whitish as she clutched the paper bag in her hand a little tighter. After nibbling her lower lip for a second, she said, "You left so abruptly earlier that I just had to check if you are okay. I am sorry. If you don't want me here, I will just leave."

Ashley looked on thoughtfully, her eyes on the bag. "Did you go to FRANK'S?"

"Yes. I got your favourite." FRANK'S was a bakery that they both got attached to after her father's death.

Recalling that it had been a while since she had a banana cake from FRANK'S, Ashley gave a curt, approving nod and muttered, "You can sit beside me."

"Thank you."

Her mother sure was excited. And Ashley could not believe that she was talking and sitting with the woman that slept with her husband. Ex-husband.

Ashley could feel her mother's eyes on her. "What?"

"I can tell you are thinking about something very serious."

Chuckling, Ashley told her off. "I am just here to get some air, that's all. Don't act like you can read my mind."

After taking a look at the building, Francine asked, "Where do you stay now?"

"At a friend's."

"Did something happen with him?"

Ashley turned to face her mother, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do you know that he is a male?"

Francine nudged her slightly. "I am your mother remember, I know when you are worried about someone you like."

"I never really liked men. So, I don't know what your point is."

"You liked your father." The air became quiet. "You loved him..." Francine whispered.

Not wanting to discuss her father as that could rouse her anger against her mother, Ashley addressed the earlier question she was asked. "I met someone and I like him."

"That's nice, Ashley. What then is the problem?"

"If he hurts me, I don't think I will be able to bear the pain. So, right now, I am thinking of calling it quits."

"But you don't want to do that, right?" Ashley sighed. "I can tell you like him. Maybe being with him is what prompted the different version of you I spoke to today. The girl I raised would have gone crazy with anger. You always did that whenever your father or I offended you. If you like him, don't give up yet. And if he eventually hurts you, remember that you are stronger than you think."

Ashley sighed again before dropping all of a sudden, "I know that I am adopted."

"Uh?" Francine's face instantly lost colour in a way that could have bothered Ashley. But Ashley was more focused on what her mother's response would be. Eyes darting here and there, her hands rustling the bag in her hand, Francine carefully and nervously asked, "H... How... How do you know?"

"Uncle Sam told me."

Even more startled, the slim woman turned properly to face her. "When did Sam come back?"

Ashley clicked her tongue. "That doesn't matter." There was a few seconds of silence before she asked, "Do you know who my biological parents are?"

"N... no. The ..."

"It is fine. I don't care if they are alive or dead." That was a lie. "I am glad I had you and dad. You both loved and cared for me, there is nothing more I could ask for. Even though you did the unthinkable, I am grateful that you raised me."

Francine's bothered expression relaxed. She wasn't worried about the last statement either. She seemed to accept those hurtful words and Ashley felt bad immediately. It was not her intention to remind her mother of the sin she committed. As she watched her mother open the bag in her hold, Ashley realised that she would not be able to hate her mother forever.

"Ashley, let's eat some cake," her mother said.

And Ashley replied, "If you brought this cake as a bribe, forget it, I won't be forgiving you very soon."

"You don't have to." Francine opened the plastic park that held Ashley's favourite. "It is enough that I can sit here and talk to you."


After sharing a smile, they both settled to devour the memory-triggering meal. And they did that in a comforting silence. 

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